Monthly Archives: August 2011

FTB would like to announce the next event in the Birds of Summer Series: A benefit show to celebrate “The Worst”–a compilation zine exploring contributors’ experiences with grief and loss from radical, D.I.Y., and alternative viewpoints. The show will help to raise money to cover printing costs for the zine, which has sold nearly 1500 copies since its inception in 2008. There will be music, readings, snacks, awesome raffle items, and even a puppet show! Provided that by Saturday, September 3rd, everyone is safe, dry, and mobile again after the hurricane, we’d love to welcome everyone to come out and have a good time supporting a zine which seeks to build community around the universal (and often difficult) experience of loss.

Details below:

“Who’d ya lose & How ya Dealin’?”:
A benefit show for The Worst: Compilation Zine on Grief and Loss

For the Birds is pleased to announce the details of our literary event, “The Written Bird” as part of our Birds of Summer event series! The two-day event will feature workshops and readings by women writers as a means to foster ideas and words, and to have our voices heard in a field that can often seem intimidating. Spread the word!

Learn how to pitch a good story to Sadie and other magazines! Find out what they look for and things to do/look into before sending a pitch!

2PM The Printed World: Self-publishing, promotion, and the many means in which to get your ideas out with Caroline Paquita of Pegacorn Press

A workshop addressing different methods to create printed works (zines, comics, chapbooks + more) that covers some of the most commonly used printing processes. A brief history of self-publishing will be discussed, as well as topics such as materials, layout, different printing options, binding, and distribution. While there will be a focus on producing works in a more “low-fi,” hands-on fashion that utilizes common or easy to find materials, people familiar with self-publishing may learn of new ways to address common issues that often come up in the production side of printing their own work.

3PM Of Course You Can Write a Damn Novel!” with Ocean Capewell

Have you ever wished you were the kind of person who could write a novel? Guess what, you probably are! In this workshop, we will discuss the barriers–some self-imposed, some not–that women/queer writers can face in undertaking such a task. We will do a few exercises to get motivated. if you have written a novel, you are welcome to come and share strategies that got you through! PLEASE NOTE: this workshop is NOT about how to get a novel published.

5PM Write. Now. Writing even if you think you’re not ready
with Lane Moore, writer for The Onion and Jezebel

Whether you want to write a novel, a book of short stories, songs, or your own comic book, you may think your work isn’t good enough yet. You probably don’t know enough, you have no professional training, maybe your ideas are boring, maybe you’re not as clever as you think you are, etc. There are a thousand reasons not to write and plenty of writers battle with these thoughts on a regular basis, but “I’m not ready” is still a ridiculous excuse. If you want to write it, if you want to see something exist because you don’t see anyone else doing anything like it, you’re ready. I’ll explore various theories as to why there is an abundance of men and a shortage of women in creative fields, ways to go over, under, or through your perceived blocks, and I’ll also talk about my experience with writing what you know.

READING

Sunday, August 28th 2011

Bluestockings Bookstore

172 Allen Street

NY NY 10002

FEATURING READINGS BY:

STACY PERSHALL
Stacy is a writer and belly dancer in New York City. She is originally from Prairie Grove, AR, and was the first person on either side of her family to ever go to college. After a childhood punctuated by bullying, a 20-year struggle with anorexia and bulimia, and a diagnosis of bipolar disorder that didn’t feel quite right, Stacy was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder in 2005. She recovered through a combination of dialectical behavior therapy, mood-stabilizing medication and tattoos. Her memoir “Loud in the House of Myself: Memoir of a Strange Girl” was published by W.W. Norton in January 2011 and chosen for the Barnes and Noble Discover Great New Writers program. Stacy is passionate about helping bullied kids find their voices and educating clinicians about body modification.

MIRA PTACIN
Mira is a Brooklyn-based creative nonfiction and children’s book author, New York Times bestselling ghostwriter, as well as the founder and executive director of Freerange Nonfiction, a New York City reading series and storytelling collective. This year, she was nominated for the Best American Essays, a Pushcart Prize, and the Rona Jaffe Writer’s Award (results pending). She’s a contributing writer to the forthcoming book, The Moment (2012 Harper Perennial) and her compositions have appeared in numerous print and online publications, such as New York Magazine, The Morning News, Smith Magazine, Anderbo, Cerise Press, LUMINA, Epiphany, Nerve.com, the Citron Review, the Fertile Source, CommonDreams.org, Truthout.org and more. Right now, she’s working on a memoir about the Uterus and the American Dream, as well as a collection of children’s books. Also, she’s a vegetarian. To find out more about her writing, to read excerpts or for press clips, she welcomes you to go to: www.miraptacin.com

OCEAN CAPEWELL
Ocean grew up on Long Island but has lived all over. She studied writing at Nassau BOCES Cultural Arts Centre & SUNY Purchase. She is trying to find a home for her first novel and is starting a second one about lesbian construction-worker romance! She currently lives in Pittsburgh and works at the welfare office.”

AND TEEN CONTRIBUTORS FROM “HEY, SHORTY!”

At every stage of education, sexual harassment is common, and often considered a rite of passage for young people. It’s not unusual for a girl to hear “Hey, Shorty!” on a daily basis, as she walks down the hall or comes into the school yard, followed by a sexual innuendo, insult, come-on, or assault. But when teenagers are asked whether they experience this in their own lives, most of them say it’s not happening.

Girls for Gender Equity, a nonprofit organization based in New York City, has developed a model for teens to teach one another about sexual harassment. How do you define it? How does it affect your self-esteem? What do you do in response? Why is it so normalized in schools, and how can we as a society begin to address these causes? Geared toward students, parents, teachers, policy makers, and activists, this book is an excellent model for building awareness and creating change in any community.

For the past few years, For the Birds has curated music compilations of our favorite women-fronted and feminist-positive bands from across the country, and even around the world. We’re pleased to announce the release of this year’s compilation CD / Cassette titled “Flock Rock”, our fifth release. It features 14 tracks (some of which are exclusive!) and will be available only at the Birds of Summer events before being added to our webstore this fall. Check out the track listing below!

Come join the Safe OUTside the System Collective of the Audre Lorde Project for our first annual BEDSTUY PRIDE. The Safe OUTside the System (SOS) Collective is an anti-violence program led by and for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Two Spirit, Trans, and Gender Non Conforming (LGBTSTGNC) people of color. We are devoted to challenging hate and police violence by using community based strategies rather than relying on the police.

Why BedStuy Pride?

The Audre Lorde Project’s S.O.S. Collective will host the 1st Annual Bed-Stuy Pride to celebrate Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Two-Spirit, Transgender and Gender-Non-Conforming people of color in the Bed-Stuy community. The day will feature performances, artists, vendors, activities for youth and adults, and more! Bed Stuy Pride 2011 is an opportunity for neighborhood folks to come together and celebrate the fabulous Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Two-Spirit, Transgender, and Gender Non-Conforming People of Color community in the neighborhood many of us grew up , and currently, live in. As an anti-violence community-based collective, SOS feels that one of the best ways to combat violence in our community is to start at home. Bed Stuy Pride 2011 is an opportunity for us to show our community how truly fabulous we are, Brooklyn style!

Volunteers are needed day of BedStuy Pride! All BedStuy Pride Volunteers and ALP members are encouraged to attend an outreach training and orientation that is scheduled on Tuesday, August 16th from 7pm-9pm at the Brooklyn office. Volunteers will learn more about organizing by and for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Two Spirit, Trans, and Gender Non Conforming People of Color. Come to the Audre LordeProject’s BedStuy Pride Outreach & Volunteer Training & Orientation for People of Color and learn how to rep ALP and build our member base at BedStuy Pride and throughout NYC.

Volunteer for Security!

We need more volunteers for security! Volunteer to help keep our community safe by volunteering for security. We have scheduled a security training on Tuesday, August 16th from 7-9pm to RSVP contact Irma Salvatierra Bajar (see below). The security training is mandatory for new security volunteers and any security folks that have never volunteered in this position before.

Cassie Karopkin is a graduate of the renowned Natural Gourmet Institute in NYC and SUNY, Albany, and is also certified in Plant-Based Nutrition through Cornell University. She earned her kitchen stripes at Pure Food and Wine, New York’s first raw-foods restaurant.

Leah DeCesare is a queer, hard of hearing person living in Brooklyn, NY. She graduated from the Swedish Institute of Health Sciences and is a member of the American Massage Therapy Association. As a martial artist since 1999, she adopted the philosophy, “if you’re going to learn to harm people, you must learn to heal people.” As an avid athlete, she uses her work to assess and relieve overuse syndromes, enhance performance, rehabilitate injuries and reduce stress – the root of most of our ails.

At 17, Lauren Nagy began her yoga practice at a small gym in her hometown of Toms River, NJ. Lauren has since completed her 200 hour teacher training at the Center for Health and Healing and has been actively teaching since 2009. Lauren’s classes offer up the warmth and compassion of a yoga sanctuary, a safe place to grow from the inside out. Her classes include postures to help open, strengthen, tone, calm,and detoxify the body; breath control; guided meditation; and inspirational messages applicable to everyday life to help expand the yoga practice beyond the mat.

Next Friday is the Queens SpeakOut on women’s rights hosted by the SlutWalk Coalition. We at For the Birds are excited that SlutWalks have sparked a lively and critical debate on the ways in which we organize against violence and sexism. We’ve compiled a few articles that take both critical and enthusiastic takes on the approach:

Historically, this has come at a great cost to low-income women and women of colour who bear the brunt of institutionalized sexism – from lack of access to childcare and denial of reproductive justice to stratification in precarious low-wage work and disproportionate criminalization….

Having said all that, it might be surprising, then, to know that I did march in Slutwalk.

I attended for the simple reason that I am committed to ending victim-blaming. The Slutwalks in Toronto and Vancouver came out of the specific contexts of comments by police officers in Toronto and Saanich that were reinforcing to young women about how to avoid getting raped. In Manitoba, Judge Robert Dewar commented that a young Aboriginal rape survivor acted ‘inviting’.

And that gets to one of the essentially problematic things of privileged white folks attempting to define for everyone else what works for them personally or because they want a satirical device. When events are about everyone individually for themselves defining whatever they think is good for them, regardless of its impact on other communities (especially communities of color, who disproportionately face the brunt), do communities of color really need to define themselves in such terms?

Sometimes the purpose of activism is in the theatre, in the noise and in the exaggeration. LGBT activists throwing glitter on homophobic politicians is hilarious, it may not make quantifiable policy change, but it makes headlines that are funny, ironic and dramatic and sometimes that is enough to get people to change their minds or rethink taken for granted assumptions about sexuality. Women marching around in “slutty” outfits (when they do, I have heard they don’t completely and the point is really about wearing what you want) yelling about injustice is in a way a type of mockery of conventional ideas about sexuality that is wholly refreshing.

Come be a part of or spread the word about this brand new three part series of conversations, focused on creating safe spaces for low income people and/or people of color who are transgender, gender non-conforming or intersex.

This series is FREE! Metrocards & food will be provided & the discussion will be in English & Spanish.

August 10th, 6-8PM
EMERGENCY ROOMS are often dangerous places for transgender, gender non-conforming and intersex (TGNCI) individuals. However, they are often the only option for low-income individual and people of color. Come share and strategize methods of change in this unjust health system.

October 12th, 6-8PM COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS are an important resource for marginalized communities in New York but often fail to provide care for TGNCI communities. Accessing gender affirming health care in New York City can feel impossible, especially for low income people and people of color. We will be discussing experiences at different health centers and sharing recommendations about about affirming centers, doctors and other providers. Bring your experiences and visions for change!